Whether used to issue traffic citations or secure government property, cameras have proliferated across Maryland.

Vandalized speed cameras have plagued Prince George's County so much that police have installed surveillance cameras to monitor the cameras. At this point, local police departments have yet to use similar measures.

Baltimore County pays a monthly fee of nearly $12,000 per camera. According to the county executive's office, speed cameras generates $2 million a year in revenue for Baltimore County.

WBAL-TV 11 News discovered that when cameras are damaged, the vendor picks up the cost for repairs or replacement cameras for Baltimore County.

That's not the case in Prince George's County, where taxpayers pay for repairs or replacement of the cameras, which can cost as much as $30,000 per camera.

The irony is inescapable as cars whiz by on Race Track Road, which prompted police to hide a portable speed camera in a wooded area alongside the road. In an effort to deter vandalism, police installed a camera to watch over the speed camera, and they have plans to install a dozen more surveillance cameras by the end of the year after six speed cameras were damaged since April.

Sam Hale, who lives across the street from the camera watching the speed camera, said he's not bothered by the Big Brother feel of it.

"It's a good idea. It slows them down, especially from the college over there, Bowie State (University). They fly through here," Hale said. "I think it's a fact of life. I think it is a good idea."

Speed cameras in Baltimore County have been vandalized eight times since 2010. Vandals have painted over speed camera lenses, and some have publicly expressed anger by lighting a speed camera on fire.

All of Baltimore County's speed cameras are installed near school zones. So far, vandals have damaged six of them -- two of them twice. The damaged speed cameras were located on Cromwell Bridge Road, Seven Courts Drive, Rolling Road, North Point Road, Greenside Drive, and Sulphur Spring Road.

In August, Baltimore County police didn't consider the damage a big deal.

"In the scope of everything we deal with in the Baltimore County Police Department, this is a relatively minor problem," Baltimore County police spokeswoman Elise Armacost said on Aug. 17. The position has not changed.

Baltimore County police issued a statement about surveillance cameras for speed cameras, writing, "If we had a camera vandalized every week, then we might consider it. Right now, the normal processes that we have for the investigation of any camera destruction or vandalism are sufficient to deal with the problem that we might have."

The speed cameras cannot also serve as surveillance cameras because, under Maryland law, speed cameras can only be used to capture images of speeding.

WBAL-TV 11 News reporter David Collins said the surveillance cameras look like something a department store would use, replete with a round, black case around the lens.

See where Baltimore's Top 10 speed and red-light enforcement cameras are located:

Gotcha! Top 10 speeding, red-light camera spots

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WBALTV.com shows you where the highest red-light and speeding violations are caught by traffic enforcement camera. These photos were taken by the passenger in the vehicle. Source: Baltimore City Department of Transportation data between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2010.